Confederate held steady in the top spot for the sixth straight week in the Week 16 edition of the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll released on Tuesday, Sept. 26 while Little Brown Jug champion Its My Show showed up at No. 2, T C I also moved up and a familiar name rejoined the Top 10.
Its My Show picked up 103 points from a week ago, when he was ranked fourth. He received three first-place votes, but remained 60 points behind No. 1-rated Confederate, who was idle. Confederate, who has spent six weeks in the top spot, received the remaining 32 first-place votes.
Sylvia Hanover, who was second last week in the Fillies & Mares Preferred at Woodbine Mohawk Park, dropped from second to third while Its Academic, the winner of the Caesars Trotting Classic, moved from fifth to fourth. Next was Mohawk Million winner T C I, who gained 126 points from a week ago, when he was at No. 10.
Bythemissal, who was fifth in the Harrah’s Hoosier Park Pacing Derby, dropped from third to sixth. Mohawk Free For All winner Tattoo Artist was seventh and idle Geocentric was eighth. Little Brown Jug runner-up Seven Colors dropped from sixth to ninth while Miss Versatility Series champ M Ms Dream returned from a three-week absence in the Top 10, arriving at No. 10.
Alrajah One IT dropped from the Top 10.
The Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll does not determine U.S. Horse of the Year. The members of the U.S. Harness Writers Association vote on all Dan Patch Award division winners plus Trotter of the Year, Pacer of the Year and Horse of the Year.
Rankings based on the votes of harness racing media representatives on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Standardbred Poll: Week 16 – Sept. 26, 2023
| Rank | Name (First Votes) | A/S/G | Record | Earnings (USD) | Points | Pvs |
| 1 | Confederate (32) | 3cp | 9-8-1-0 | $1,077,929 | 342 | 1 |
| 2 | Its My Show (3) | 3gp | 13-9-3-0 | $1,061,084 | 282 | 4 |
| 3 | Sylvia Hanover | 3fp | 9-7-1-0 | $364,209 | 246 | 2 |
| 4 | Its Academic | 6ht | 13-8-2-2 | $743,951 | 192 | 5 |
| 5 | T C I | 2ct | 10-9-1-0 | $1,047,470 | 186 | 10 |
| 6 | Bythemissal | 4gp | 10-7-1-0 | $428,491 | 119 | 3 |
| 7 | Tattoo Artist | 6hp | 18-6-5-1 | $692,272 | 106 | 8 |
| 8 | Geocentric | 2fp | 7-7-0-0 | $494,501 | 70 | 9 |
| 9 | Seven Colors | 3cp | 16-7-3-3 | $685,220 | 63 | 6 |
| 10 | M Ms Dream | 4mt | 10-7-0-1 | $489,362 | 60 | — |
ALSO: Alrajah One IT 58; Tactical Approach, Twin B Joe Fresh 34; Bond 19; Special Way 17; Allywag Hanover, Grace Hill 15; Newsroom 11; Captains Quarters 10; Cannibal 8; Ken Hanover 7; Jiggy Jog S, Legendary Hanover, Silver Label, Ucandoit Blue Chip 5; Covered Bridge, Its A Love Thing, Sig Sauer 3; Pass Line 2.
(With files from USTA)